The present invention relates to methods and devices for enabling human adult males to achieve penile erections, and particularly by use of an electro-rheological fluid as a hardening means.
It has been known to use penile implants in order to assist otherwise impotent individuals in achieving penile erections. Most of the known devices insert tubes or receptacles into the penis and supply fluid thereto by means of a reservoir. However, these devices result in malfunctions due to leakage of fluid out of the receptacle and clogging due to the valves used to control the flow of fluid between the receptacle and the reservoir. These problems result in great discomfort and annoyance to the implantee.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,201,202 discloses a penile implant including an elongated, flexible rod having a short, proximal portion of relatively stiff material which is adapted to be implanted into the root end of the corpus cavernosum to support the implant and a longer distal portion of softer and more flexible material adapted to be implanted in the corpus cavernosum of the pendulus penis. A flexible cylindrical sleeve is positioned around the rod in a fluid-tight manner forming a chamber for receiving pressurized fluid. Furthermore, it includes a pressure bulb for pressurizing fluid, tubing communicating between the chamber and the pressure bulb, and valve means for controlling the flow of the pressurizing fluid between the pressure bulb and the chamber. The flexible cylindrical sleeve is pressurized upon receiving fluid from the pressure bulb to rigidize the implant and to effect a penile erection.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,853,121 discloses an elongated flexible elastic tube which is implanted in the penis together with a flexible container which contains a fluid to be transferred from the container into the tube when the container is compressed so that the fluid thus displaced in the tube will elongate the latter and render the tube relatively rigid so that in this way it is possible to achieve a penile erection.
Neither of the aforementioned U.S. patents assist in overcoming the disadvantages of fluid leakage and the resultant reduction in the size and duration of the penile erection. The present invention overcomes the aforementioned disadvantages as well as provides a new and novel method and device for obtaining a penile erection.